A Night of Beautiful Catharsis with Third Eye Blind and Taking Back Sunday

July 11, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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There’s just something about experiencing live music on a perfect summer night, surrounded by people that are just as in-the-moment as you are. Even better when the bands on stage are the kinds of bands that have stood the test of time, soundtracking so many moments to your life. Third Eye Blind and Taking Back Sunday are bands that have been with me through thick and thin. Through formative years and adulthood. Through good times and bad. Seeing them together on the Summer Gods tour as it stopped through Indianapolis last week was just as cathartic as you might imagine.

Look, the past few years haven’t been easy on any of us. Maybe that’s the reason for the heightened feelings of joy and relief to be in the presence of the music we love. Having a full slate of summer concerts this year has certainly been a sight for sore eyes, but I’d be lying if I said this show wasn’t circled in red in my mind. 

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Taking Back Sunday

Like so many of you, Third Eye Blind’s 1997 debut self-titled album, followed by Blue in 1999, then by Taking Back Sunday’s breakout Tell All of Your Friends in 2002, and everything that came after, was a stretch run of impactful music in my life that’s almost unparalleled. But to imply that those moments are frozen in time would be wildly untrue. These are bands that have evolved right alongside my own musical tastes through the years, as I’ve documented ad nauseam.

It felt perfect then, as Taking Back Sunday took the stage, after an opening set from Hockey Dad, to the sound of “Tidal Wave”, the lead single and title track from the band’s most recent release in 2016 – and album that still feels underrated. Per usual, Adam Lazzara and the band were a delight to behold, smiling through their set and genuinely seeming to enjoy every moment. 

As you might expect, the set spans across the band’s discography, but gives plenty of time for hits from fan favorite albums like Louder Now and Tell All Your Friends while still exploring a few unexpected songs from Where You Want to Be (“Set Phasers to Stun” – hooray!) and Happiness Is (another criminally underrated TBS album). Lazzara and guitarist/vocalist John Nolan’s stage banter is topped only by their timeless ability to build off of one another’s vocal performances, pushing every song over the top.

More than anything, Taking Back Sunday’s set reminded me that it’s been a while since we’ve received a proper release from the band. But something tells me that new music may be just around the corner.

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Third Eye Blind

It was only last fall that Third Eye Blind Our Bande Apart, their seventh full-length album. While the band’s early material still resonates with me the most, it’s phenomenally impressive how Stephan Jenkins and company have stood the test of time. Their set spans decades, and so many people around me seemed to know every word to every song. 

No matter how many times I see Third Eye Blind live, I’m always impressed by Jenkins’ comfort level on stage and the timelessness of his voice. You could feel convinced that he’s performing hits like “Graduate” and “Losing a Whole Year” for the first time instead of the 500th time based on his emotion and conviction behind the mic. Say what you want about the man, but he’s nothing if not driven. Most recently, his passions have zeroed in on climate change, which is actually pretty fucking cool.

For the large majority of Third Eye Blind’s set, I crowd watched. There’s something about the communal experience of letting down your guard amongst strangers and leaning hard into the things that music makes us feel. On this night, it felt like everyone around me was experiencing those same feelings of catharsis as myself. A moment to feel normal again amongst the music that has carried us through for so many years. It just felt a little different in the best way possible.

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by Kiel Hauck

kiel_hauckKiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Underoath Hits the Road with Spiritbox, Bad Omens, and Stray from the Path

March 28, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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Near the end of their set at The Andrew J. Brady Music Center in downtown Cincinnati last week, Stray from the Path vocalist Andrew Dijorio shared a personal and moving story about his struggle as an isolated artist during the pandemic. Dijorio described being unable to take the stage and perform as resulting in a feeling of having lost his purpose. It’s a sentiment that resonates for all of us in one way or another. But here we were, together again in the kind of setting that can melt those feelings away.

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Stray from the Path

It had been over two years since I last attended an indoor concert like this, and I got the feeling that it was the same case for many others in attendance. It led to an elevated kind of energy that you could feel throughout the night. I actually had butterflies in the photo pit before shooting the sets – something that was a relatively mundane event prior to the pandemic. 

It had actually been so long since this tour was announced that one of the original bands on the lineup no longer exists (R.I.P. Every Time I Die). Nevertheless, the night is a celebration of Underoath’s new album, Voyeurist, along with being a showcase for a few bands on the rise. 

After Stray from the Path, it was Bad Omens turn to take the stage. The band has made a name for themselves in recent years by threading the needle between metalcore and hard rock, concocting something melodic enough for radio but heavy enough to get the pit moving. Vocalist Noah Sebastian is a true showman in the best way. His confidence on stage was a sight to behold, but his vocal performance is what stole the show, especially when the band plays “Never Know” and “Limits” – two tracks that highlight the band’s stellar songwriting and Sebastian’s soaring vocals.

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Spiritbox

Speaking of bands on the rise, in the time since the tour’s announcement, Spiritbox have simply exploded onto the metal scene thanks to the success of their debut, Eternal Blue. No longer the opener, the band could likely be their own headliner very soon. Given that this is their first long trek on the road as a unit, it’s amazing how tight their set is. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were a veteran band (vocalist Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Michael Stringer previously toured with iwrestledabearonce). 

LaPlante dominated the night with her powerful vocal performance, rising to the occasion with massive screams on tracks like “Holly Roller” and “Hurt You” while delivering powerhouse cleans on “Blessed Be” and “Constance”. With a setlist only seven tracks deep, it wasn’t hard to be left wanting more. On the band’s final song of the night, “Eternal Blue”, Stringer’s haunting guitar solo at the end of the track capped off a perfect set. 

The night would mark my 10th time seeing Underoath live. What’s left to say at this point? I’ve stated for years that Underoath is one of the best live bands on the planet, and the Voyeurist Tour only adds to the legacy. The band’s catalog is deeper than ever at this point, even with the continued admission of tracks from 2010’s Ø (Disambiguation). Somewhat surprisingly, though, the band’s 15-song set only includes four tracks from the new album. However, Voyeurist opening track “Damn Excuses” allows the band to explode onto the stage, followed by regular show-opener “Breathing in a New Mentality”.

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Underoath

The night is a solid mix of new tracks, fan favorites, and a few rarely performed songs like “A Fault Line, A Fault of Mine” from Lost in the Sound of Separation and “There Could Be Nothing After This” from Define the Great Line. In the end, it’s hits like “Reinventing Your Exit” and “Writing on the Walls” that get the crowd going, even if the band’s performance of Voyeurist-closer “Pneumonia” is utterly jaw-dropping to experience in person.

By the time you’re reading this, the tour will be completed with two final shows in Underoath’s hometown of Tampa, Florida. In the end, one thing is for certain: both bands and fans felt overjoyed to be back in this setting. The promise of more to come from all involved instills a kind of hope that we can all cling to.

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by Kiel Hauck

kiel_hauckKiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Most Anticipated of 2022: My Chemical Romance Deliver Another Dose

January 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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In late 2020, My Chemical Romance announced a return to form with a worldwide tour that set the scene rampant with excitement at not only seeing the band again, but hope that after so long there might be new music on the way. Just as the band began their tour, complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic paused the reunion entirely, with the band postponing dates around the world, including a headlining gig at Chicago’s Riot Fest.

A year later, it looks like MCR may be preparing to get back into the world’s collective consciousness. With the 2022 tour dates still on the docket from March through October, My Chemical Romance is going to be busy. As one of the most anticipated reunions in the rock world, an active and energetic My Chemical Romance offers a universe of possibilities, stories and concepts that are ripe for the taking. With the band back in full swing, there is always the possibility that new music is one tweet away from being announced.

by Kyle Schultz

kyle_catKyle Schultz is the Senior Editor at It’s All Dead and has worked as a gaming journalist at Structure Gaming. He lives in Chicago and is currently braving the coldest of winters, snuggled close to his cat.

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The Phoebe Bridgers Reunion Tour: An Experience Worth Waiting For

September 13, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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It had been just over two years since the last time I had attended a concert. I was apprehensive. I wondered if that passage of time had somehow quelled my love of the setting. Maybe I didn’t need live music experiences anymore, at least not with the same frequency as before. That’s what I was thinking, but then the lights went down, a band came on stage, I raised my camera to capture the moment, and felt that familiar rush wash over me. I missed this more than I knew.

It’s wild to think about how much has changed for Phoebe Bridgers since the last time she took the stage. Pre-pandemic, Bridgers was still carving her path, building on the early momentum of her debut, Stranger in the Alps, and her collaborative projects, boygenius and Better Oblivion Community. But then came Punisher, a perfect album that changed everything, but all took place in isolation. There was Bridgers in February, in attendance at a bizarre Grammys in her skeleton pajamas, never having had the chance to perform the songs that had changed her life in front of a live audience.

Truthfully, after all we’ve endured, it has made this late summer’s Reunion Tour the perfect opportunity to finally re-connect and share our experience of Punisher together. The tour’s dates were recently moved to outdoor venues, requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry. It felt about as safe as you can feel these days at an event filled with strangers.

MUNA opened the night – an electro pop trio I had no prior knowledge of. And guess what; it’s still so much fun to discover a new band at a concert. Led by vocalist Katie Gavin, the band exhibited an infectious joy onstage throughout their set, making it impossible to look away. Opening with tracks like “Number One Fan” and “Stayaway” from their 2019 full-length album, Saves the World, the band’s knack for creating dance-worthy tracks ranging in emotion and energy set the tone for the night. When they debuted their new track “Silk Chiffon” (featuring Bridgers), it made clear that MUNA is on the cusp of reaching another level.

To finally experience Punisher in person was…therapeutic? Healing? Relieving? It was something. Bridgers opened with “Motion Sickness” from her debut, making a subtle nod to the idea of our collective reunion. “Let’s experience something familiar before we dive into the new stuff.” From there, “DVD Menu” led into “Garden Song” which led into “Kyoto” and oh my god every song still sounds so perfect. Every track from the album happened in sequence with various other songs from Bridgers’ other works sprinkled within.

The setting fit the mood – dark, but lit with just enough light to create a “vibe.” A backing screen featuring an opening book that visualized the chapters of the performance. And of course, Bridgers and band decked in those skeleton PJs. Highlights of the show depended on your own personal attachments. For me, “Moon Song” proved just as sad and lovely as I had hoped. But it’s hard to outdo a choir of screaming to those final moments of “I Know the End”. Every song was delivered with care. Every moment felt worth absorbing.

In hindsight, I can’t think of a better show to reacquaint myself with the setting. Punisher has meant more to me in this past year than I can put into words. Having the opportunity, after all of this time, to experience it like this? In a weird way, it almost felt worth the wait.

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by Kiel Hauck

kiel_hauckKiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Podcast: Hella Mega Tour and the Return of Live Music

August 23, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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Have you heard? Live music is happening at a venue near you! Our very own Kyle Schultz recently found himself at such an event, and it was a big one. Kyle joins Kiel Hauck to talk about his experience at the recent Chicago stop of the Hella Mega Tour. Kyle shares the general vibe and experience of attending a concert again and gives his full breakdown of the mammoth-sized tour, including standout songs and performances. Who brought the house down the most: Weezer, Fall Out Boy, or Green Day? Take a listen and find out!

Subscribe to our Podcast on Apple or Spotify

Posted by Kiel Hauck

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Switchfoot Sets Sail on the Fantastic Traveling Music Show

October 28, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Back in 2017, something that I never thought would happen happened. Switchfoot announced an “extended hiatus.” I actually wrote a piece lauding them for the 20 years of music they had given us. Well, fast forward almost two years later and Switchfoot pretty much played a huge practical joke on us all. They took 2018 off, sure, but then ended up releasing a new album, Native Tongue, in January of this year.

They spent February to April touring the new album and then announced another fall tour – The Fantastic Traveling Music Show. My husband and I try to catch their Boston show whenever they happen to be on the East Coast, but there wasn’t a Boston show this time around. We made a three(!) hour trek up to Connecticut, and it was totally worth it.

The premise of the concert was a shipwreck. The band went crazy with the set design, and had a literal boat on stage, which was pretty rad. They didn’t bring any openers, instead playing two sets. The first was an acoustic portion, where they took audience requests by pulling songs from a bottle, keeping with the maritime theme. I’ve seen Switchfoot play twice before this date, and there were songs I had never heard live. Even though it was cool as a fan to hear those older tracks like “Company Car”, I almost feel like the whole show’s concept was a way for the band to keep things fresh for themselves. They’ve been playing together for so long at this point; I don’t blame them for mixing it up.

The second act was a full band set. Instead of the boat, they suspended a hot air balloon above their instruments. The highlights during the second half were definitely “Meant to Live”, “Float” and “This Is Your Life”. Even now, into the later years of their career, the band has intense chemistry that makes every set seamless.

Accompanying the requests were reasons the person had chosen them and a very poignant moment was when they played “Where the Light Shines Through” for a family whose daughter was born with severe complications. The band has always been open and genuine about their own personal lives and struggles and it was nice to see them acknowledge the part their music plays in others’ lives.

They often bring a charity on tour with them and this time around they chose Food for the Hungry. Their goal is to have 365 children sponsored to receive food, clean water, and education. You can find more information about their partnership on their website. Switchfoot has been an irreplaceable band in so many lives throughout the past 22 years. I am so grateful to see them continue to make music and invite us to celebrate with them.

by Nadia Paiva

kiel_hauckNadia Paiva has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.

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Underoath and Fever 333 Hit the Road with Korn and Alice in Chains

August 23, 2019 by Leave a Comment

The first time I saw Underoath was nearly 15 years ago at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time, the Tampa post-hardcore act was riding high off their breakthrough record, They’re Only Chasing Safety, and you could have argued that the sold out crowd, which went bonkers the entire night, represented what would be the height of the band’s popularity.

Since then, Underoath has released multiple gold records, landed at #2 on the Billboard 100, toured the world multiple times over, become one of the most influential bands in hardcore, broke up, and reunited, only to achieve even more success. This summer, a year after the release of their comeback album Erase Me, the band has landed a slot on Korn and Alice and Chain’s massive summer tour. You can’t make this stuff up.

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Fever 333

The night Indianapolis began with an old friend. Since the disbandment of letlive. three years ago, vocalist Jason Aalon Butler has achieved newfound success in the form of Fever 333 – a rock band hellbent on getting their message across. That message, consisting largely of giving a voice to the marginalized, is soundtracked by ripping guitars and Butler’s signature flair on stage. It only took a few short songs before he found his way down into the pit and out into the audience, screaming toward onlookers seated on the lawn.

The band’s 2019 full-length debut, Strength in Numb333rs, as well as their 2018 EP, Made an America, are both full of fire, and songs like “One of Us” and “Trigger” are enough to wake up the early birds in attendance. Butler’s stage presence feels just as authentic in an amphitheater as it does at a club show, with the singer bounding and bellowing across the stage. It’s clear that the rock community at large has taken notice of Fever 333, and we’re all the better for it.

On this tour, Underoath finds themselves in a unique situation as opener, playing largely in front of an audience who is unaware of their history. While Erase Me has obviously opened new doors for the band and introduced them to an entirely new community of rock fans, they’re still newcomers in the eyes of mainstream listeners. It seems obvious then, that tracks from Erase Me dominate the setlist.

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Underoath

The band still finds time to sneak in performances of fan favorites “Writing on the Walls” and “Breathing in a New Mentality”, but everything else is fresh material. “On My Teeth”, which snagged a Grammy nomination earlier this year, leads the set, followed by a recently released b-side titled “Loneliness”, which is one of the best tracks the band has penned since their return.

Interestingly, the band sidesteps recent singles “Bloodlust” and “Wake Me” in favor of the more heavier tracks from their new album. “Hold Your Breath” and “Sink With You”, in particular, seem to reel the crowd in, while a brief slow down for “ihateit” invites some onlookers to sing along. At one point, vocalist Spencer Chamberlain asks the crowd, “Who here is seeing us for the very first time?” I look around me as most of the crowd inside the Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center amphitheater raise their hands. It’s a site I never would have imaged all those years ago in Tulsa.

Korn and Alice in Chains, both with well over two decades of experience end relevancy, and both with recent new releases, obviously highlight the night for the packed crowd. It’s a stark reminder of the divide between mainstream rock and the underground, especially when music from the scene has at times felt like the last stand for rock as a whole.

Still, both Butler and Chamberlain take time on stage to share stories from their youth about how these bands impacted and shaped them. If it weren’t for Korn, would Butler have ever grabbed a microphone? If not for Alice in Chains, would Chamberlain have ever found his voice? It’s interesting to ponder, but regardless, it’s impressive as hell to see these two worlds collide.

 

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by Kiel Hauck

kiel_hauckKiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.

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5 Summer Tours to Look Forward to in 2019

May 21, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Personally, my summer is defined by days at the park drinking Del’s Lemonade and sitting by the ocean. It also means festivals and tours start in full swing, and my paychecks get blown to the wind. Totally worth it. This list is in no way intended to be all reunions but I guess that’s what’s selling tickets this year. Here are a few tours that I’m excited about.

Sad Summer Festival

I gave up my chance to go to Sad Summer Fest in Worcester in favor of seeing Anberlin reunite, but I’m still just as excited about it as if I had tickets. With the end of Vans Warped Tour, all of us in the scene were simply floundering about thinking of what to do this summer. We all know we’re way too cool for Coachella and Lollapalooza, so where would we get our fest kick? Along came Sad Summer Festival to save the day. The Wonder Years, Mayday Parade and The Maine are among the headliners for this aptly named tour, and what’s more, the fest is choosing a nonprofit from each city to contribute to. There’s nothing not to love about Sad Summer Fest.

Buy tickets here

Vans Warped Tour

There might only be three cities and five dates for us to choose from, but there’s no doubt that this is one of the biggest events for the scene this year, maybe only barring Sad Summer Fest. We previously thought that 2018’s would be the last we heard from Vans Warped Tour, but this year is the 25th anniversary of the tour, so it’s only fitting that there should be one last hurrah. There’s a great lineup of folks like A Day to Remember and Sleeping with Sirens that’s sure to turn up the nostalgia.

Buy tickets here

Anberlin

Anberlin is back from the dead. They are currently in Australia for a few dates, but soon they’ll be back in the States. I’ll be rejoicing because their Boston show is July 5th and I have floor tickets. The last time I saw them was their Final Tour and my balcony tickets just didn’t cut it. Will the members of Anberlin get the recording bug? I’m not sure, but I know this tour is definitely a dream come true.

Buy tickets here

The Black Keys

The Black Keys have returned from their very long hiatus and have announced a tour with Modest Mouse. Their new album, Let’s Rock, releases on June 28th. The band is one of Ohio’s finest musical children and I’m so glad that they’ve come back with more music for us to enjoy. I’m hoping for a setlist made up of a lot of fan favorites, and hopefully this will be a fitting welcome back party.

Buy tickets here

Jonas Brothers

Another band that recently got back together is the Jonas Brothers. I know we’re not really into folks like the JoBros here at It’s All Dead [Says who? – ed.], but hey what the heck. I tried my hardest to get tickets but it was to no avail. No doubt it will be a killer show, and a great way to welcome summer and a regret of mine. Curse you, scalpers! Their new album, Happiness Begins, releases on June 7th.

Buy tickets here

by Nadia Paiva

kiel_hauckNadia Paiva has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.

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A Night with Paramore on the After Laughter Tour

June 25, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I have a concert bucket list. This may not be a surprise to anyone, but it’s true. Bands like Turnover, Pianos Become the Teeth and Switchfoot all made the cut and have been successfully crossed off. The band at number one? Paramore.

I’ve been unsuccessful in catching a Paramore show ever since I can remember, but I finally made it. I have now seen virtually every band I’ve ever wanted to see except for bands that are no longer active (My Chemical Romance *sigh*) and the new bands I find and become obsessed with (Off Road Minivan). I’m hoping to catch a Death Cab show later this year.

I don’t really know why I had never made it to a Paramore show. They’ve played Boston plenty of times since I’ve gotten into them but I’ve just always missed it. Usually it’s because of other shows or, if I’m being honest, because ticket prices are sky high. Well, June 20th rolled around and my schedule was free and tickets were approximately $35 (which, when Paramore is involved, is basically free). So I drove two-and-a-half hours to Gilford, New Hampshire, with lawn tickets in hand, prepared to have the best night of my life.

Soccer Mommy and Foster the People were the opening bands, but as stated above, the long drive caused me to miss Soccer Mommy and most of Foster The People’s sets. I got my ticket scanned to the sultry bass tones of “Pumped Up Kicks”. While we were waiting for Paramore to start playing, we heard through the pavilion grapevine that they were upgrading tickets for free. Instead of our lawn tickets, we ended up finding seats closer to the stage to watch Hayley and Co.’s set.

Paramore was incredible. Their concert experience is legendary, akin to fellow Fueled By Ramen acts Twenty One Pilots and Panic! at The Disco. Don’t know what that label is doing, but whatever it is, it’s right. Paramore opened with “Grudges” from their latest full length, After Laughter. It set the tone wonderfully and it was almost tear-jerking to hear Zac Farro, prodigal drummer returned home, sing the background vocal, “Why did we wait so long?” to Hayley’s reply of “To stop holding on”.

The setlist was a really great range of old and new tracks. Noticeably missing, per the usual post-2015, were any tracks from their first album All We Know Is Falling. A highlight was a re-imagined version of “crushcrushcrush”. I actually texted Kiel while they were playing it, saying they’d “After Laughter-ed” it. It had less of the punk sound and they added some 80s synths, which brought a cool new feel to what must be, at this point, an overdone track for the band to perform.

The acoustic portion housed another great set of choices. They played their BBC One cover of Drake’s “Passionfruit”, then “Misguided Ghosts” from 2009’s Brand New Eyes, and finished with “26” from the new album. It was, in a word, poignant. A lot of After Laughter’s songs are full of heavy content, and even though they disguised that aspect with energetic music, it was hard to ignore the evident pain Hayley feels when singing “Forgiveness”.

Another interesting choice was the addition of “No Friend”. This was a spoken word track on After Laughter performed by Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou. Paramore used it as both a jam session and a water break and it was basically epic.

There were several traditions that were kept. One was Zac’s performance of one of his side project songs, which is definitely worth checking out. The other was the choosing of audience members to finish “Misery Business”. These were things I’d only heard about and they were just as wonderful in real time. The band had a three song encore and ended with the lead single from After Laughter, “Hard Times”.

In short, it was the best night of my life. Completely worth the wait, but I left wondering why I hadn’t just gone for it sooner. I can’t wait until they come around again.

by Nadia Paiva

kiel_hauckNadia Paiva has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.

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Tonight Alive Level Up on Get Free Tour

March 1, 2018 by 1 Comment

If you read my review of Tonight Alive’s latest release, Underworld, you’ll know that I thought it was fantastic. It’s poignant, energetic, and everything I was looking for. When they came to Boston, I knew Tonight Alive was a band I wanted to experience up close and personal.

The Get Free Tour started at the beginning of February, and Boston was one of the last dates of the tour. There were four bands in the lineup: Picturesque, Broadside, Tonight Alive and Silverstein.

Tonight Alive

The night actually flowed pretty well, with only about 10 minutes in between sets. I moved around the room a little bit to try to get a better view of the stage (Paradise Rock is set up weirdly) and did manage to find a good spot. Broadside is a band I was excited to see, as their 2015 release Old Bones was a summer favorite of mine. The crowd was into the set, but frontman Ollie Baxter’s attitude and stage presence distracted from the band’s performance, similar to Picturesque’s set before them.

As Tonight Alive took the stage, the band’s progression from a young, scrappy act to seasoned professionals that have come into their own became clear. The band showcased the balanced, energetic stage presence that comes with experience – moving as one unit with everyone equally playing their part.

Tonight Alive

If there was ever a doubt that vocalist Jenna McDougall can sing, it only took their acoustic version of “Oxygen” to dispel the myth. Tonight Alive were high energy and McDougall  really engaged with the crowd. She was attentive to the other guys in the band and the friendships between them seem strong and genuine.

One thing I really appreciated was how McDougall used the entire stage. It’s not a big stage and doesn’t cover the entire length of the floor, but she was intentional in making sure everyone, from the left side of the stage to the balcony, was having a great time and felt like they were part of the experience. She used the time in between songs to drive home a message of freedom and self-esteem.

Tonight Alive

As a newer fan of Tonight Alive, I wasn’t quite as connected with the band as older fans are. They played a lot of tracks from their older albums. I assumed that the majority of the set would be from Underworld, but that wasn’t the case. Each song flowed well and it was evident that they were diligent in choosing their setlist. I chuckled upon realizing that McDougall appeared to have the lyrics to Lynn Gunn’s verse in “Disappear” written on her hand.

Having to sit through the opening sets to get to Tonight Alive’s awesome performance was totally worth it. I hope I can catch them again when they come around, because their energy is completely infectious. The ideas of empowerment and the ability to change the world by changing our thought patterns are so important in today’s culture. Tonight Alive deserves every bit of acclaim they’ve received.

by Nadia Paiva

kiel_hauckNadia Paiva has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.

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